Various methods have been employed heretofore in mechanically pulling the hides from meat animals, as a step in the processing of meat on a rapid production basis. According to one method, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,626,550, a carcass is suspended by the hind legs and mechanical means are provided for stripping a loosened hide from the hindquarters toward the head. In this patent, electric stimulus is employed to cause carcass muscle contraction, which is said to stiffen the carcass and facilitate progressive removal of the hide from the body and the skull as a continuous operation. A somewhat similar operation is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,537,130.
The prior methods above mentioned have been employed both with and without the aid of electric stimulus, with varying degrees of success. In some forms of mechanical apparatus for hide removal, the hide stripping operation commenced at the skull and progressed toward the hindquarters. This usually entailed a preliminary burden of skillful hand knifing at the skull, as well as along the sides of the carcass, without decreasing the liklihood of damage to the hide, flesh, and spine of the carcass. Such devices usually pulled the hide laterally then upwardly toward the hindquarters of the suspended carcass, as disclosed in a general way by the drawings hereto appended.